


817%

by happyxinqs



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:54:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28352763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happyxinqs/pseuds/happyxinqs
Summary: Baekhyun's broken and his personal bandaid comes in the form of Chanyeol.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	817%

**Author's Note:**

> crossposted fic from livejournal, written in 2014.
> 
> yixing and sehun are fem in this fic

“What are you packing for?”  
  
“I told you, we’re going up to the cabin.”  
  
 _We’re?_ Baekhyun’s heart starts to beat faster, a little smile tugging at his lips.  
  
“Do you think she’ll want to go in the hot tub?” Wufan stands up, hands on his hips as he surveys the half-packed bag atop his bed. “Probably, right? Yixia really likes that sort of thing.”  
  
And then everything comes to a screeching halt.  
  
“Yixia?” Baekhyun echoes, “You’re going with her?” He swallows, hoping Wufan didn’t notice the very noticeable crack in his voice. “I thought you guys broke up.”  
  
“We did, but she called me this morning and we got back together,” Wufan answers simply, a huge smile on his face as he busies himself with sorting out shirts. “Who else did you think?” He ends up dumping the entire pile into the navy blue duffel, shoving them as far down into the bag as they’d go.  
  
Baekhyun opens his mouth, letting the answer sit on his tongue for a moment. He can’t say it. But then Wufan turns his head to look at him, and Baekhyun somehow finds the courage to speak.  
  
“Me.”  
  
“You?” Wufan laughs a little, and it stings because he’s seeing this as a joke, which is the complete opposite of Baekhyun’s intent.  
  
“I’m being serious, Wufan.” Baekhyun stands up, crossing over to where Wufan has halted his packing and finally noticed the sincerity of his tone.  
  
“Why did you think I was taking you?” He scrunches his nose up a little in a way Baekhyun would normally find cute, but right now it’s downright irritating.  
  
“Well, because,” Baekhyun starts off, voice a little timid, “of all those things you said yesterday night – like how I’m the only one who understands you and how you always feel happy with me and how you would date me.”  
  
It all comes out in a rush of words with little breath taken in between, and Baekhyun feels dizzy after saying all of that. There’s a long silence following straight after, Wufan staring at Baekhyun with confusion decorating his features.  
  
“But, Baek… I meant if you were a girl.”  
  
Baekhyun’s heart drops to his stomach and there’s that familiar feeling of throwing up, sitting uncomfortably in the pit of his gut.  
  
“I-I wasn’t thinking clearly yesterday – it was the alcohol, Baek.”  
  
The younger furrows his brow, tears threatening to spill.  
  
“B-but you said th—”  
  
“Look,” Wufan rubs a hand down his face, taking a couple steps back. “Maybe, maybe you should go. I still have a lot to pack.”  
  
Baekhyun stops, dropping his head down and mumbling out a quiet _okay._ He doesn’t want to go, he wants to stay with Wufan, stay and talk about this.  
  
But Wufan’s telling him to leave and his feet obey.  
  
“I’ll call you, okay Baek?” Wufan says once Baekhyun’s picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He nods, and is about to hug him goodbye when the elder stiffens and turns away, muttering things under his breath about not forgetting to pack spare underwear.  
  
It’s not a clear rejection, but it hurts all the same and Baekhyun leaves Wufan’s room with heavy footsteps, his heart sinking lower and lower as his tears finally fall to the floor, any evidence of his dejection absorbed into the carpet threads.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Wufan doesn’t call, or even text. It’s a week later when Baekhyun finally hears any word about him, from Jongin no less, about his return back home.  
  
“He’s back?” Baekhyun gapes, and is answered with a nod from the brunet.  
  
“Has been since Tuesday,” Jongin takes a little swig of his Coke.  
  
“I thought he was coming back tomorrow.”  
  
“Same here. Changed his mind about something, I guess. I’m surprised you didn’t know. Haven’t you two been talking?” He looks shocked, and he’s right to be so. It’s always been Baekhyun and Wufan, Wufan and Baekhyun; they’re a package deal.  
  
“No, no we haven’t.” Baekhyun says under his breath. The conversation is dropped.  
  
  
  
Baekhyun tries calling Wufan, but doesn’t get as far as he’d thought and is immediately hanging up the phone before the first ring even goes through. He flops back onto his bed, pressing his pillow in his face and wishing he never said anything at all.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun busies himself with things that don’t remind him of Wufan; hanging out with Jongin and Junmyeon more and going to places Wufan never really liked. It’s a breath of fresh air, to be able to go eat sushi (the actual raw fish kind) without hearing complaints about how gross the taste is, or finally getting the full-sized sweet popcorn at the movies because Wufan always liked butter more.  
  
Baekhyun builds up a wall full of false confidence and composure to fool everyone that he’s doing fine, because he’s tired of hearing the words _how are you?_ every other day. He doesn’t tell anyone, of course, that he always chokes back sobs and waits until he’s home alone to stain his bed sheets with tears as he curls into a ball and cries himself to sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  


When it reaches a month without any contact, Baekhyun doesn’t even realize until he’s opening up a text from Junmyeon about meeting up with the four of them later. He accidentally scrolls too far down his inbox and his eyes catch the name at the top of a text message dated four weeks ago.

_**from: wufan ~^.^~** _

_how many sweaters should I bring with me to the cabin? it might be cold up there_

  
  
  
Baekhyun remembers he left the text unanswered, and it was only a few hours later when Wufan had called him up, voice on the verge of breaking as he sobbed to Baekhyun that Yixia had broken up with him.  
  
The two of them spent the night in Wufan’s room, with Wufan sitting on the floor at the foot of his bed, a blanket around him as he knocked back stolen liquor he previously took from his father’s stock. Baekhyun hadn’t drunk anything, keeping his hand on the elder’s back as he rubbed soothing circles and kept telling him it would be okay.  
  
Now, things definitely aren’t okay and Baekhyun gets the urge to throw his phone across the room. He settles for typing a quick text to Junmyeon about a change of plans, and gets a confirmation one minute later.  
  
  
  
  
It’s been a while since Baekhyun has been to a club, and he doesn’t know why it has taken him this long to get back into the swing of things. Junmyeon, Jongin and Minseok drag him to a new spot near the centre of town, recently opened with a queue already snaking out the front.  
  
It doesn’t take much (a smile from Jongin and promise of a fuck later) to get the bouncer to let them in ahead of everyone else. The music is way too loud, and paired with the obnoxious lights and claustrophobic atmosphere is making Baekhyun feel a little sick. But he didn’t come out here for nothing, and he’s determined to finish what he started. So he swallows the feeling down and heads straight to the bar, ordering shots of anything that will get him drunk enough to dance.  
  
He doesn’t know when he ends up on the dance floor, but it’s definitely sometime after midnight when the crowd has thinned slightly so Baekhyun is actually able to turn without touching a stranger’s body part. He feels hands on his hips and leans back into a tall male, jet-black hair and smoky feline eyes to match his presence. Baekhyun grinds back against him and it’s not long after when he’s hearing the words _let’s get out of here_ whispered seductively into his ear.  
  
Baekhyun is pressed up against the grey wall of an apartment, the stranger (“my name is Zitao”) licking stripes up his neck as he hastily unbuckles Baekhyun’s pants. He’s thrown on the bed and flipped over, palms running over his ass and he arches his back into the touch.  
  
A quick thought flashes in his mind for a second, and the image of Wufan’s face is all too swiftly replaced once Zitao begins rocking his hips and Baekhyun tightens his grip in the sheets.  
  
Baekhyun’s first time isn’t spectacular, but it’s what he needed and he slips out of the apartment once Zitao’s asleep, with hair dishevelled and shoes in hand.  
  
When Baekhyun gets back to his apartment, he spends fifteen minutes throwing up in the bathroom, and keeps going until his throat burns too much to continue. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, ignoring the flashing ‘less than twelve percent battery’ reminder.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Baekhyun presses Wufan’s name and holds his phone up to his ear, counting the seconds. No one picks up, and Baekhyun hangs up after the seventh ring when the call disconnects and goes straight to voicemail.  
  
  
  
  
He wakes up on the bathroom floor, phone battery dead, with another overwhelming sense to throw up.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
When third year starts, three and a half months since that day, Baekhyun gets a job helping to stack shelves at the university library. He still hasn’t spoken to Wufan since, only seeing glimpses of the elder around campus that immediately make him take a detour to class, even if it’s longer and extremely inconvenient. It’s on those days when he sees the flash of Wufan’s auburn brown hair or large black hoodies that Baekhyun shuts himself in his room, downing a tub of ice cream and watching reruns on the television because that’s the only thing that will help him feel better.  
  
He still knows what he’s up to, courtesy of his friends who keep him updated even when he doesn’t ask. The question of _how is Wufan?_ always lingers in the air whenever they meet up, and Baekhyun’s grateful none of them have ever questioned what happened in the first place, presumably getting that information from Wufan himself.  
  
It’s not that Baekhyun doesn’t miss Wufan; it’s the complete opposite, and that’s why he chooses to stay away. Wufan is supposed to be the one to come to Baekhyun. It’s been like that since the beginning of their friendship, the elder always texting him first to come over because he’s bored of studying, or asking if he can stay the night in Baekhyun’s dorm, or simply waltzing into his room with his computer and a bag of popcorn because “no one else likes this movie”.  
  
But if Wufan doesn’t miss him, then maybe Baekhyun shouldn’t as well.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He’s woken up one Saturday morning by a message from Wufan on LINE, sent to the entire group they had created months ago, about his upcoming birthday. Baekhyun deletes the app off his phone and shoves it back under his pillow, closing his eyes in attempt to sleep away the pain in his chest.  
  
  
  
  
“Why didn’t you come?” Junmyeon asks, and despite the fact that Baekhyun should have been expecting the question, he’s still thrown off. He answers him with a shrug that isn’t as uneasy as he feels, and takes a sip of his coffee.  
  
“He thought you would come. We all did.”  
  
Baekhyun flickers his gaze to look outside the window, watching students pass by with winter jackets buttoned up and hats on their head to protect them against the cold.  
  
“I don’t know. Not anymore.”  
  
It’s the beginning three-word statement that is supposed to sound full of uncertainty, but it explains a hundred things as it’s left to hang in the air between Baekhyun and Junmyeon.  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun doesn’t know where the courage comes to do this, but he finds himself standing outside of Wufan’s door, the blue gift box in his hand. It’s been sitting in his desk drawer for months, all ready to give to Wufan as soon as the tickets came in the mail. Baekhyun had waited up until three in the morning so he would be one of the first to pre-order them, despite his seven o’clock lecture, because he knew how much Wufan wanted to go to the concert. Half of Baekhyun doesn’t want to give the present to him, but the money has already been spent and Baekhyun has no idea what else he can do with two tickets for a group he doesn’t even like that much.  
  
So Baekhyun carefully places the box in front of the door and knocks three times before running away, barely making it around the corner before he hears the door open and Wufan’s voice calls out.  
  
Baekhyun doesn’t answer, and waits until he hears Wufan close the door and pad back into the apartment with his present before walking down the hallway and out the building.  
  
He doesn’t feel any better, but that’s not all too surprising.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It’s when Baekhyun sees the photos of Wufan’s birthday finally posted on Facebook that his mind starts to wander.  
  
He thinks that maybe he always knew Wufan was a homophobe. He never said it out loud, but it was clear as day just how the elder felt. It was Baekhyun’s infatuation that overlooked it, to be honest.  
  
It’s not like Wufan ever kept it hidden, the too casual and comfortable use of the word _gay_ to describe something shitty, or the fleeting look of disgust whenever Baekhyun and him would see two guys on the streets holding hands.  
  
Baekhyun had never confronted him about it, purposely turning a blind eye because hearing the truth come from Wufan’s mouth would mean he wouldn’t ever accept Baekhyun for who he was.  
  
It’s been nearing five and a half months now.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A phone call comes in the middle of the night, and Baekhyun rubs his eyes, not bothering to glance down at the caller ID when he picks up. It’s all in the first breath that he hears and his heart plummets to the pit of his stomach.  
  
“Baekhyun.”  
  
He doesn’t wait for the rest of Wufan’s sentence and immediately hangs up.  
  
Baekhyun feels like Wufan’s shooting cannonballs at him, each hit a thudding blow to Baekhyun’s emotions.  
  
He doesn’t attend lectures for a week.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun bumps into a familiar face on campus, the other recognizing him first surprisingly.  
  
“Hi, Zitao,” Baekhyun coughs out and it doesn’t look like there are any hard feelings for leaving straight after he fell asleep. He’s with a taller male with caramel hair, all wavy and perfect, and a wide smile, and he looks a little familiar, but Baekhyun can’t place him.  
  
“This is Chanyeol, by the way,” Zitao motions to said male, and the latter sticks out a hand. Baekhyun shakes it before slipping his own back into his pocket.  
  
“Didn’t realize you came to this university, too. Seems like we would have run into each other sooner.”  
  
Baekhyun agrees, not mentioning his use of the inconspicuous pathways because he’s still avoiding Wufan who, for some reason, he’s seen less of now ever since that phone call. The three of them exchange pleasantries over what subjects they’re taking, and it’s when he’s in the middle of telling the pair of them about his literature course when he notices Zitao’s arm snake to loop in Chanyeol’s, and a knot forms in the back of his throat.  
  
He makes a show of looking at his phone and noticing the time, lying that he has to meet up with some friends, and dashes off (but not before exchanging phone numbers with Zitao at the latter’s insistence).  
  
It’s not that he wants Zitao, but the action is reminder enough that everyone else is finding someone and he’s still single and very much alone.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun feels a tap on his shoulder and he whirls around to see Chanyeol, his bangs down and hair messy, but still wearing the same smile. His mouth forms an O when he realizes it’s Baekhyun, and the smile grows even larger. It’s almost blinding, really.  
  
“Oh, hi Baekhyun!” He says a little too loudly for the library, earning him some shushes from several students nearby. He covers his mouth with a little _oops_ and he’s really too adorable with the way his eyes crinkle at the corners. He drops his voice to a whisper and leans in, and it comes out all deep and husky, “How come you work here?”  
  
Baekhyun puts the book in hand in its correct spot on the shelf before answering, needing a moment to process how a cute face like Chanyeol’s can harbour such low tones.  
  
“It’s pretty easy work, and extra cash never really hurts I guess.”  
  
Chanyeol nods in agreement before realizing why he interrupted Baekhyun’s shelf-stacking in the first place.  
  
“Oh, can you help me find this book?” He shows him the piece of paper in his hand, the title _Technical Math for Dummies_ scrawled across the crumpled page. Baekhyun stifles back a chuckle and leads Chanyeol to the correct shelf a few aisles down. Chanyeol thanks him with another eye-crinkling smile and Baekhyun finds himself trying to will away the rising heat in his cheeks.  
  
“Hey, have we met before?” Baekhyun finally asks, and Chanyeol looks up from his position crouched on the floor.  
  
“You mean before Zitao introduced us?” Chanyeol cocks his head to the side, and Baekhyun nods. “I don’t think so. I probably would have remembered you,” he grins.  
  
Baekhyun nods his head again, whispering a goodbye to Chanyeol who waves at him as he gets back to his cart. He doesn’t know why Chanyeol looks so familiar, but he shrugs it off. He’s probably overthinking things.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next time Baekhyun sees Chanyeol is at the corner takeout shop on campus, walking through the door to pick up his order of spring rolls and soba.  
  
“Baekhyun!”  
  
He turns and sees him sitting with Zitao at a window table across from one another, sharing some chicken noodle soup from a large bowl. He swallows and raises one hand in greeting before taking his plastic takeout bag from the employee and thanking her.  
  
Zitao waves him over and Baekhyun realizes he can’t really leave now that they’ve seen him and he’s definitely greeted them back. He slowly walks over and Zitao scooches over, patting the space on the bench next to him. Baekhyun reluctantly sits down and soon finds himself engaged in a conversation over joining the two of them in their club outing tomorrow night. He doesn’t know if it’s their charming demeanours or heart-warming smiles, but somehow he’s saying yes and they both beam at him. Baekhyun’s also finding it harder to look away from Chanyeol, when he’s laughing that loud over a lame joke Zitao told, or when his eyes are wide and Chanyeol’s listening to every word Baekhyun has to say in an extremely not-interesting-at-all story.  
  
He goes back home to find his takeout has gotten cold and his spring rolls are hard.  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun invites Jongin, Junmyeon and Minseok to come along. Introductions are made between the three of them and Zitao and Chanyeol as they meet up at the bus stop on campus.  
  
Zitao immediately takes a liking to Junmyeon and Minseok, and Chanyeol busies himself talking with Baekhyun and Jongin. They arrive at the club on a somewhat slow night so there’s no queue, but it’s still busy enough that the inside is filled with people.  
  
Baekhyun gets tipsy enough to dance, not realizing whose wrist he grabbed to join him, until he looks up to see Chanyeol watching him with an intense gaze. The alcohol in his system brushes it off and he starts to sway his hips against Chanyeol’s. It’s when his hands have somehow found their way to cup around Chanyeol’s neck that he remembers Chanyeol is Zitao’s and he loosens his grasp. He mumbles out an apology, moving to drop his hands back to his sides before Chanyeol is clasping his wrists and preventing any further movement.  
  
Baekhyun struggles for a moment before the grip tightens and Chanyeol’s voice rings in his ears, telling him to stop moving. He tilts his head up just in time for Chanyeol to press his mouth against Baekhyun’s and his eyes widen in shock. The younger pulls away and licks his lips, relaxing his hold on Baekhyun.  
  
“What are you doing?” Baekhyun asks, eyes blinking profusely.  
  
“I like you.” The confession comes all too sudden.  
  
“But… you’re with Zitao!”  
  
Chanyeol’s eyebrows furrow before he lets out a chuckle and pinches Baekhyun’s nose.  
  
“No, I’m not. He’s my best friend, but that’s it.”  
  
“But… b-but you were linking arms! And sharing a bowl of soup!” Baekhyun exasperatedly says.  
  
“Zitao’s really touchy with me, he doesn’t mean anything by it.” Chanyeol points over to the bar and Baekhyun follows his arm to see Zitao within Junmyeon’s personal space bubble, but it doesn’t seem like the latter minds at all. In fact, Zitao is practically in Junmyeon’s lap and the elder is milking up every moment of it. “See?”  
  
Baekhyun definitely does see, even with the large amount of alcohol within him. He’s still staring at the scene when Chanyeol’s hands come to rest on his hips and hears soft murmurs in his ear, breath hitting the side of his neck.  
  
“So? Can I continue?”  
  
But it’s still a lot to take in, especially when he’s not fully sober. He feels Chanyeol’s arms fall to his sides and Baekhyun’s whispering an apology before gently pushing him away and darting out of the club. He hails down the first taxi he sees as soon as he’s outside, hoping the fresh air will help clear his head. The driver has already pulled away from the curb when he glances back to see Chanyeol running out the doors, scanning both ways down the road with a look of distress on his face. Baekhyun shrinks himself in the backseat and gives the taxi driver his address.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“Sorry I bailed on our club outing the other day,” Baekhyun says to Zitao, stroking the ceramic coating of his coffee cup with his thumb.  
  
“It’s okay, don’t worry. I didn’t even notice you left until I got the bus back to campus with Chanyeol.” Zitao takes a sip of his own drink, putting it down when it’s still too hot to consume safely. Baekhyun clears his throat.  
  
“H-how is Chanyeol?”  
  
Zitao pauses for a short moment, before shrugging. “He’s okay. Normal.”  
  
“Did he mention anything to you after I left?”  
  
“Nope. Was he supposed to?”  
  
“Oh, no, no,” Baekhyun waves his hands in front of him a little too quickly, and Zitao arches an eyebrow, but doesn’t press any further.  
  
“So, interested in coming to the Christmas music festival?”  
  
“The what?” Baekhyun asks, and Zitao nods towards the big poster plastered in the coffee shop window. “Oh.”  
  
“Chanyeol’s playing in it; he’s playing guitar for some girl in his music studies class. Apparently she’s the best singer in the course, and their teacher paired the two of them up together.”  
  
“Oh,” Baekhyun repeats. He swallows and tries to find his tongue. “Sounds like it’ll be a good show.”  
  
“Yeah, you should come! It’s in a few weeks, so make sure to clear your schedule for that time,” Zitao says.  
  
Baekhyun hums in reply, bringing his cup to his mouth to avoid giving a definite yes or no.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun literally runs into someone in the middle of the hallway, rushing to get to the library for his job. He looks up just in time to meet the strong back of a very tall male, and the books he’s carrying fall to the floor. He immediately apologizes and crouches down to scoop them up.  
  
“It’s okay.” The person says, a hand around the spine of Baekhyun’s literature textbook and he freezes, the voice all too familiar to a certain someone’s. He slowly looks up, only to breathe a slight sigh of relief that it’s not Wufan he collided into. Chanyeol hands him back his book, and Baekhyun meekly thanks him. They stand like that, Baekhyun avoiding eye contact and staring at his feet.  
  
“So, are you busy right now?” Chanyeol asks, his hands dug deep in his pockets.  
  
“Oh, right!” Baekhyun remembers, “I have to go to my, uh, library job, thing.”  
  
“Oh. Mind if I come with?” Chanyeol bites down on his bottom lip.  
  
“To the library?” Baekhyun looks puzzled, and Chanyeol nods his head. “Um, if you want, I guess…?”  
  
Chanyeol brightens and starts to follow him, humming some tune Baekhyun’s never heard under his breath as he grabs the pile of books from Baekhyun’s arms and hooks them under his own.  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol ends up being Baekhyun’s personal ladder, stacking books on the shelves he can’t reach. It’s still awkward, the events of that night at the club go unmentioned, and Baekhyun doesn’t know how to feel around Chanyeol any more. But the taller of the two is still humming songs softly, filling the silence with something to slowly quell the uneasiness Baekhyun feels.  
  
They end up finishing with lots of time to spare; normally Baekhyun wouldn’t even halfway done at this point, and he’s grateful he ran into Chanyeol on the way.  
  
“Um, thanks, for helping me,” Baekhyun softly says as he’s wheeling the cart back to its station under the reception desk. Chanyeol follows him on the other side, not sure if he’s allowed to venture past the _only staff are permitted past this point_ sign that’s plastered on the desk in big, bold lettering.  
  
“It’s no problem,” Chanyeol replies, flashing his teeth, and Baekhyun has to look away to stop the blush in his cheeks. “It’s only 8:30 right now, do you want to get something to eat?”  
  
Baekhyun’s fingers tighten on the handle of the cart. “Like, dinner?”  
  
“Yeah, dinner!” Chanyeol says excitedly, and he immediately flinches, realizing the volume of his voice. He ducks his head in effort to shield himself from the glares of other students in the vicinity, and Baekhyun bites his bottom lip, stifling a giggle.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol takes him to the small sushi restaurant on campus, and it’s already closing time. But it only takes two knocks against the glass door and a short whispered conversation between Chanyeol and the person who comes to shoo them away for the latter to let them in, seating the pair of them at a corner table near the back with a scowl on his face and a somewhat irritable _‘wait here’_.  
  
“Don’t worry about Jongdae,” Chanyeol says as he opens up the menu, “he’s really not a bad guy. He’s only pissed at me because I’m blackmailing him,” he shoots him a toothy grin. Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at the last sentence and Chanyeol quickly glances around before leaning in. “Well, it was last year during winter and I walked into the back of the shop to see Jo—”  
  
“Yes, hello, may I take your order?” Jongdae interrupts, and Chanyeol flinches back, a shriek accompanying his rapid breaths as he clutches at his chest. A loud laugh escapes from Baekhyun’s lips and Jongdae lets a smile work its way onto his face at scaring the shit out of his friend. “Have you tried the House Special?” Jongdae turns to Baekhyun, ignoring Chanyeol’s near heart attack. He indicates at the little sign sitting on their table advertising a salad and sushi roll of the day combo. Chanyeol is still trying to regulate his breathing so Baekhyun takes it upon himself to order the both of them the House Special and an extra order of the assorted sashimi sushi platter to share. Jongdae gives him a friendly smile and takes his menu carefully, whacking the top of Chanyeol’s head with it before walking away. The younger hisses and Baekhyun lets a tiny bit of worry show on his face, almost instinctively reaching over to rub at the back of Chanyeol’s head, but he quickly sits on his hand to stop himself from doing anything dumb, and instead pretends he didn’t see.  
  
“So, I’m guessing you like sushi?” Chanyeol asks, giving his head one last rub.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Your order. You actually got raw fish.”  
  
“Oh.” Baekhyun scrunches up his nose, and he’s getting that same uncomfortable feeling in his stomach as he did the first time he tried taking Wufan for sushi. But it soon subsides when he remembers that Chanyeol is the one who brought him here, and the younger is smiling at his choice. “Is that okay?”  
  
“Definitely!” Chanyeol gives him a thumbs-up along with a cute chuckle, and Baekhyun feels the heat in his cheeks. “You know, a lot of people I go out with for sushi always get the cooked stuff. I swear I don’t think anyone has ever ordered sashimi with me. It’s a really nice change,” and there’s that same uplifting smile on Chanyeol’s face that makes Baekhyun stutter over his words. But despite the butterflies-in-stomach inducing grin and hidden compliment in Chanyeol’s last sentence, Baekhyun can’t help but focus on the _“a lot of people I go out with”_. His mood falters a little and he’s confused why, but with the arrival of Jongdae and the tea, Baekhyun quickly picks up his drink, glad that he can hide behind his cup.  
  
The conversation is kept to the minimal of _‘how are your classes?’_ and _‘what’s Jongin and the rest up to nowadays?’_ and whilst they’re tiptoeing around the real reason they’re out dining together, Baekhyun is glad for the simple talk. He doesn’t have to think much, and it’s helping calm his nerves.  
  
Their food comes shortly after, courtesy of Jongdae who gives Baekhyun the larger sushi roll (something Chanyeol whines and pouts at) and disappears into the back again.  
  
“So how did Jongdae convince the owner and chef to keep the kitchen open and stay to cook for two annoying teenagers?” Baekhyun shoves his salmon roll in his mouth whole, peeking around the empty restaurant.  
  
“I don't know really. Might have sucked his dick or something,” Chanyeol assumes, and Baekhyun colours completely, astounded he can say that so casually. Chanyeol glances at his face and nearly spits out rice all over the table as he chokes and has to down his tea to stop turning purple. “Oh, God,” he massages his throat, sticking his tongue out.  
  
“Are you okay?” Baekhyun frantically asks, offering him his own cup of tea.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good.” Chanyeol waves his hand, declining Baekhyun’s drink. “Why did you look so embarrassed?”  
  
“Embarrassed? Me? No,” Baekhyun tries to coolly play it off, the drop of his gaze down to the table not helping his façade.  
  
And there it is. The opening for The Topic.  
  
“You are… you… y-you like guys, right?”  
  
Baekhyun quickly glances up, and Chanyeol’s eyes are deep and curious and it’s making Baekhyun feel like the younger is trying very hard to be careful and gentle. “I-I’m just asking because of that night… at the club, you know,” Chanyeol adds on, fidgeting with his chopsticks and sashimi.  
  
“Oh, yeah…” Baekhyun takes a deep breath. “About that… I’m sorry. I freaked and didn’t know what to do. I really don’t normally grab guys and dance with them, and I had a lot of alcohol.” And it’s with this that Chanyeol’s face falls, but Baekhyun doesn’t seem to notice, carrying on, “And it was my first kiss so I got really nervous. I’m… I’m really sorry.”  
  
“That was your first kiss? _I_ was your first kiss?” Chanyeol gapes, and Baekhyun bites his lip, rubbing his palms across the top of his thighs and nodding slightly. “Shit, Baekhyun, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I had no idea. I, just, really wanted to kiss you.” Chanyeol says, and for the first time, Baekhyun sees him blush. It’s really endearing and hard to believe it’s because of _Baekhyun_ that Chanyeol’s cheeks are reddening.  
  
“The food is really good,” Baekhyun randomly comments after a long pause, pointing at his roll with his chopsticks.  
  
“Mhm, yeah it is!” Chanyeol agrees, looking grateful at the change in topic. They don’t discuss that night in the club for the rest of dinner.  
  
  
  
  
“You really didn’t have to pay for me,” Baekhyun narrows his eyes at Chanyeol as he shrugs his jacket on.  
  
“I wanted to, now be a nice gentleman and thank me.” Chanyeol replies, helping Baekhyun when his arm gets caught in one of the sleeves.  
  
Baekhyun ducks his head, murmuring out a _‘thank you’_ for the food, and jacket help. Chanyeol just grins, grabbing one of the complimentary mints on the table and pressing it into Baekhyun’s palm before reaching a hand up to ruffle his hair.  
  
“You’re cute, Baekhyun.” He’s about to head out before he freezes, “Oh wait, I need to go say bye to Jongdae. Wait outside for me?” Baekhyun just nods and unwraps his sweet, popping it into his mouth.  
  
He takes the time to accustom himself to the cold because the temperature has dropped considerably in the hour they were eating. He pats his cheeks, trying to stop the blush that feels like it’s spreading all over his face.  
  
Chanyeol only takes a few minutes before he’s joining Baekhyun outside. “Shit, it’s freezing!” He shivers, “Aren’t you cold?” Baekhyun blinks as he watches Chanyeol unwrap his own scarf and drape it around him, covering his nose and mouth. “There, now you’re all bundled up!” Chanyeol grins.  
  
Baekhyun gently runs his fingertips over the softness of the material and blushes into the scarf, an airy-like feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. “Are you sure?”  
  
“Yeah, I’ve got my gloves and everything.” Chanyeol holds them up, and Baekhyun nods, before jerking a thumb over his shoulder.  
  
“Well, I’m this way. Thanks for dinner. And the scarf.”  
  
“Oh, let me walk you home.”  
  
“It’s okay, it’s just to the bus stop, and it’s already late.”  
  
“I don’t mind, really.” Chanyeol reassures him, already off and walking in the direction Baekhyun pointed. They walk in silence, and it’s only when they’re at the bus stop and waiting that Baekhyun finally brings it up again. He’s not dying to know, but he’s curious and he may as well now before the chance is lost.  
  
“So, how many times have you used your free card against Jongdae to keep shop open past closing?” Baekhyun asks.  
  
Chanyeol pretends to think on the question, before leaning back on his heels and looking up at the night sky. “Zero.”  
  
Baekhyun’s eyes widen and he looks up at him. “Zero?”  
  
“Zero. You’re the first one, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol smiles down at him with soft eyes and Baekhyun’s heart jumps. Then they hear the bus coming and Baekhyun looks away, getting his bus pass out.  
  
“Oh, well, bye, Chanyeol. Thanks again.”  
  
“Wait, Baekhyun. You never answered my question,” Chanyeol’s got a hand on his arm, “about…”  
  
He knows exactly what he’s referring to, and Baekhyun decides to wait for the bus to roll to a stop before answering. “Yeah, I do.”  
  
It’s enough to keep Chanyeol satisfied, and the younger lets go with a smile. Baekhyun boards the bus, watching as Chanyeol gives him a wave goodbye.  
  
He forgets he’s still wearing Chanyeol’s scarf until he arrives home.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun wakes up to a text from an unknown number, rubbing his eyes of sleep.  
  
  
  


_**from: private** _

_hi baekhyun! it’s chanyeol :-) I got your number from tao if that’s okay~_

  
  
  
  
He doesn’t even bothering to hide the smile on his face, typing out a reply.  
  
  
  


_**to: chanyeol ^0^** _

_yeah that’s okay! what’s up?_

  
  
  
It’s not even a minute later when Baekhyun’s got his toothbrush in his mouth that he hears his phone beep.

_**from: chanyeol ^0^** _

_I was wondering if you’re free today? :3 I wanted to take you to that bookstore I mentioned~_

  
  
  
Baekhyun reads his reply over again until he’s satisfied it sounds okay.  
  
  
  
 _ **to: chanyeol ^0^**  
  
yup I’m free until 5. where/when shall we meet up?_

_**from: chanyeol ^0^** _

_do you know the tea shop near the library~ in about an hour?_

_**to: chanyeol ^0^** _

  
_sounds good, see you then~_  
  
  
  
Baekhyun arrives early, but Chanyeol’s already waiting, dressed in a long coat that Baekhyun knows would he would drown in if he ever tried it on.  
  
“Have you been waiting long?” Baekhyun asks, regretting those extra few minutes he spent checking to make sure he looked okay in his mirror.  
  
“Only a few minutes, it’s okay. Shall we?” Chanyeol asks, cocking his head inside the shop.  
  
“We’re going in here?” Baekhyun raises his eyebrows, following Chanyeol through the door as a bell jingles above.  
  
“Just to get a drink on the way. Tea really compliments books, don’t you think?” Chanyeol smiles at him, and Baekhyun resists the urge to adjust the glasses that are slipping off Chanyeol’s nose.  
  
  
  
  
“You’re wearing my scarf,” Chanyeol comments on their way to the bookstore. Baekhyun rounds his mouth in a wide O, forgetting he wore it to remind himself to return it. His hands automatically go up to the red clothing before Chanyeol’s stopping him. “No, keep it. It looks good on you.”  
  
“B-but—“ Baekhyun starts, hands curled in the soft material as he slowly loosens his grip.  
  
“It’s okay. I want you to have it.” Chanyeol nods, stopping to drape the end back around Baekhyun’s neck.  
  
“Thanks, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun says, and the younger just smiles. He cranes his neck around to tuck the scarf into Baekhyun’s jacket collar and it’s when he pulls back does Baekhyun realize just how close they are to one another. Chanyeol’s gaze drops to Baekhyun’s lips and he slowly leans in.  
  
“So, where’s this bookstore?” Baekhyun says, glancing around, and Chanyeol straightens up, the moment gone, and slips his hands into his pockets with a shy chuckle.  
  
“Oh, it’s just few blocks down.” Chanyeol holds his arm out for Baekhyun to loop his in, but the elder ducks his head and passes him, and he hears Chanyeol let out another soft laugh behind him.  
  
  
  
  
“First you’re buying me dinner, and now this book?” Baekhyun shakes his head.  
  
“You really wanted it, and I don’t mind.” Chanyeol counters, pulling out his wallet at the counter.  
  
“Isn’t the scarf enough?”  
  
“It’s okay, Baekhyun. I like… I like doing these things. It makes you smile.” Chanyeol says, giving the cashier the money and asking for it to be gift-wrapped.  
  
“Gift-wrapped?” Baekhyun furrows his brow.  
  
“Yup. It’s now your birthday present. So now you can’t open it until…”  
  
“May 6th.”  
  
“Yes, now you can’t open it until May 6th.” Chanyeol firmly nods, thanking the cashier before turning back to Baekhyun and handing him the plastic bag.  
  
“But I already know what it is,” Baekhyun quips.  
  
“Well, at least I know that you’re going to love it.” Chanyeol gently pokes his nose.  
  
Baekhyun pulls the scarf up to cover his cheeks.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_**from: jongin =3=** _

_how was your date with chanyeol?_

  
  
  
_**to: jongin =3=**  
  
it wasn’t a date. how the hell do you know anyways?_   
  
  
  


_**from: jongin =3=** _

_tao told me._

  
  
  
_**to: jongin =3=**  
  
you guys are talking now?_   
  
  


_**from: jongin =3=** _

_he’s been kind of clinging to junmyeon lately. you would know if you had been hanging out with us instead of mr. park_

  
  
  
_**to: jongin =3=**  
  
bite me :-)  
  
  
  
 **to: jongin =3=**  
  
park is his last name?  
  
  
  
 **to: jongin =3=**  
  
jongin?!_   
  
  


  
_**from: jongin =3=** _

_bite me :-)_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun’s phone rings, echoing throughout the silence of the library, and he fumbles in his pocket, quickly trying to answer the call before anyone else shoots him a look.  
  
“Hello?” He whispers, shutting himself in the backroom behind reception.  
  
“Hi Baekhyun! Why are you whispering? Did I catch you at a bad time?” Chanyeol says over the line, worry crawling into his voice.  
  
“Kind of, I was just stacking shelves at the library.”  
  
“Oh, oops. I apologize to everyone working. _Sorry!_ ” Chanyeol practically yells the last part and Baekhyun has to hold the phone at arm’s length away from his ear to avoid going deaf. “Did they hear me?”  
  
“I’m in the backroom.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
Baekhyun chuckles. “So, did you need anything?”  
  
“Need?” Chanyeol repeats, and Baekhyun can hear the confusion.  
  
“Why did you call?”  
  
“Oh, I wanted to ask if you were free to get some food with me, but I already got my answer,” Chanyeol laughs. “When do you get off?”  
  
Baekhyun glances up at the clock, “I’ll be done in roughly half an hour.”  
  
“I can wait until then. I’ll meet you at the front of the library. Bye Baekhyun!” Chanyeol hangs up, and Baekhyun’s left listening to the dull tone.  
  
Then the door opens and Baekhyun quickly puts his phone on silent, shoving it back into his pocket.  
  
“You’re not supposed to use this room for secret personal calls, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo jokes, shrugging out of his black smock apron the university gave the library employees as their uniform.  
  
“I forgot to turn my phone off,” Baekhyun gives as an excuse, smiling at the younger.  
  
“So who was that?” Kyungsoo asks with a smirk, grabbing his jacket out of his designated cubby now that his shift is over.  
  
“Just a friend,” Baekhyun says, lightly elbowing him in the side.  
  
“The tall guy who helped you all last Saturday?”  
  
Baekhyun freezes, slowly turning around. “You didn’t work that day. How do you know?”  
  
“Lu Han told me. We have our own gossip too, you know.” Kyungsoo gives him a sly wink, sliding out the door and leaving Baekhyun to gawk after him.  
  
  
  
  
“So how come you wanted to eat lunch with me?” Baekhyun asks as he takes a spoonful of his noodle soup.  
  
“Well Zitao was busy, and you’re the only other person I thought of,” Chanyeol replies, blowing on his own food.  
  
Baekhyun remains silent, pondering on whether to ask or not, and the question is already slipping past his lips before he’s fully decided. “Chanyeol, remember that day in the bookstore?”  
  
“Mhm, what about it?”  
  
“Well,” Baekhyun fidgets with the end of his sleeves, and he can’t very well just say _‘never mind’_ now that he’s already brought the subject up so he continues, “you told me you like doing things that make me smile. Why?”  
  
Chanyeol pauses, slowly lowering his spoon to his bowl and his gaze flickers to his lap.  
  
“Well, when I first met you with Zitao, of course you smiled and looked really friendly to talk to. But there was… something, I don’t really know how to put it. There was still a part of you that seemed sad. And then over time, when we were at the takeout shop or club and you were dancing and having a good time, your smile became more… real. And that’s what I want to see – I want to be around you when you’re happy, because it makes me happy.” Chanyeol bites on his lower lip, glancing up at Baekhyun through his eyelashes.  
  
“Oh.” Baekhyun kind of feels like his heart is going to burst out his chest and he’s trying really hard to not smile, but when Chanyeol’s looking at him like that and saying those words that sound like they’re spoken so utterly truthful and heartfelt, he lets the corners of his mouth curl up and he’s practically giggling.  
  
“Was that what you wanted to hear?” Chanyeol asks, sticking his spoon in his mouth with a grin that Baekhyun returns.  
  
“Maybe.”  
  
  
  
  
“I actually had something to ask you,” Chanyeol says once their bowls are cleared and they’re waiting on the bill.  
  
“Hm?” Baekhyun is curious, taking a sip of water as he watches Chanyeol pull out an envelope from his coat.  
  
“I have two tickets to this concert, they were actually given to a friend by someone for his birthday, and he had already pre-ordered them himself.” Chanyeol hands him the envelope, “But anyways, since he didn’t know what to do with these, he offered them to me. I don’t know if you’re busy or anything on the day, but if not, would you like to go with me?” Chanyeol hands him the envelope and Baekhyun’s mind is blurring out the last few sentences because he’s holding a pair of tickets to Wufan’s favourite group, and the situation is reminding him an awful lot of his own.  
  
“Y-your friend just gave these to you?” Baekhyun asks, a slight tremble in his voice and he’s internally beating himself up for sounding so weak.  
  
“Um, yeah. He said he didn’t need them, and that they were just dropped at his doorstep. Told me he wasn’t friends with the person who gave them to him anymore as well.” Chanyeol is sounding worried, and he reaches out a hand to place over Baekhyun’s. “Are you okay?”  
  
Baekhyun swallows, staring down at the tickets with tears in his eyes. “What’s your friend’s name?”  
  
“Wufan. Do you know him? He’s really tall, taller than me even! I don’t know if you’ve seen him around campus but—”  
  
“Sorry Chanyeol, I have to go.” Baekhyun interrupts him, his things already in his hand, and he doesn’t stop when he hears Chanyeol call out for him to wait.  
  
It’s the second time he’s run out on him.  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol calls Baekhyun when the latter is on the bus heading home and trying to wipe his face dry. He now realizes why Chanyeol looked so familiar to him, and it’s just bringing up more questions he doesn’t even know if he wants the answers to. He rejects the call, immediately turning his phone off so Chanyeol can’t text him either.  
  
He shuts himself in his room, curled up in his blankets with his stereo volume turned up loud to drown out the sounds of Jongin hammering on his door. He had come around half an hour after Baekhyun got back, using his key under the doormat to get in after Baekhyun hadn’t answered the door.  
  
“Baekhyun, open the door! Chanyeol called me. He’s worried. I’m worried. We all are. Please?” Jongin raps lightly, once Baekhyun’s playlist has stopped blasting.  
  
Baekhyun ignores him, falling asleep to more knocking and Jongin’s muffled voice through the door.  
  
  
  
  
When he wakes up he can hear Jongin in the kitchen, banging a pot against the stove and muttering out an _‘oh shit’_. Baekhyun glances at his clock, realizing he’s been napping for a little over an hour. He softly gets up to the bathroom, wiping his face with a washcloth and staring at his reflection in the mirror, red eyes and ruffled clothes.  
  
Jongin doesn’t chastise him for not letting him in when Baekhyun finally walks into the kitchen. He settles for watching him with careful eyes, waiting for Baekhyun to speak first.  
  
“Sorry, Jongin,” Baekhyun apologizes, feeling extremely small under his gaze.  
  
“What happened?” Jongin asks, and brings over a mug of hot chocolate as he joins him at the table.  
  
Baekhyun takes a deep breath. “Wufan. Wufan happened.”  
  
  
  
  
It’s much later and Baekhyun’s mug is still untouched, the drink cold and tissue box half empty.  
  
He wasn’t expecting to tell Jongin everything, but just after saying Wufan’s name, it all spilled out and before he knew it, he was crying again and Jongin was rubbing his back, trying to comfort him.  
  
“Baekhyun, you should have told us.”  
  
“There was nothing to say. What happens between Wufan and me shouldn’t concern you guys.”  
  
“Baek, you’re our friend. No matter what happens, we’re going to be worried for you,” Jongin assures, and he gives him a soothing smile. “And you know, we’re not the only ones.”  
  
Baekhyun tilts his head quizzically, before realizing who he’s talking about and his face drops.  
  
“Jongi—”  
  
“You should call Chanyeol, he’s really worried about you.”  
  
“I can't,” Baekhyun lets out an exasperated sigh, planting his face onto the table. “He probably hates me.”  
  
“He doesn’t,” Jongin says, getting up to microwave Baekhyun’s cocoa.  
  
“How do you know?”  
  
“Because if he hated you, he wouldn’t have called Zitao to get Junmyeon’s number, and then Minseok and my number, and pleaded for at least one of us to go check if you were okay.”  
  
“Maybe he’s just the concerned-but-I-still-don’t-like-you type,” Baekhyun says timidly.  
  
“Wake up!” Jongin snaps his fingers in front of his face, “Chanyeol _likes_ you, Baekhyun, though God knows why.” He shakes his head. “You’re annoying, pretty tiny, _such_ a nerd—”  
  
“Okay, I get it! Thank you for captioning that,” Baekhyun retorts. Jongin winks and brings his now steaming-again mug over, sitting down and placing a comforting hand over Baekhyun’s.  
  
“You really should do something, Baekhyun. Chanyeol’s a good guy, and he’s not going to wait around forever.”  
  
  
  
  
When Jongin leaves and Baekhyun’s left alone, he gets out his laptop and logs onto Facebook, swallowing for a moment before typing Junmyeon’s name into the search bar. He clicks on his _Photos_ link and the pictures from Wufan’s birthday come up.  
  
Baekhyun stares at them, scrolling through until he gets to a particular set of photos and his breath halts.

He’s looking at a picture of Wufan, his arm slung over another male with dark brown eyes and wavy brown hair, and a smile that Baekhyun knows all too well. They’re both grinning at the camera and Chanyeol’s got on one of those party hats only cool at birthday parties when they were eight years old.  
  
He turns on his phone to see five missed calls and three texts from Chanyeol. He doesn’t read any of them, shutting his laptop and closing his eyes before falling asleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 _ **to: jongin =3=**  
  
thanks for everything.  
  
  
  
 **to: chanyeol ^0^**  
  
I’m sry about yesterday. I’d like to make it up to you. can we meet up today?_  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun doesn’t expect Chanyeol to be free today, but he gives it a shot anyways. He gets a reply when he’s making breakfast, turning the stove off without bothering to finish cooking his half-fried eggs, and grabs his jacket.  
  
Baekhyun fiddles with his shirt while he’s waiting, brushing non-existent dirt off and making sure there aren’t any crinkles. It’s not like he’s trying to impress Chanyeol but it’s something to keep himself occupied so he doesn’t have to worry about the actual date itself.  
  
Not that this is a date.  
  
Chanyeol arrives a few minutes later, mumbling an apology that his sister had called him before he left.  
  
“Oh, if you were busy we could have met up later or—”  
  
“No, don’t worry about it,” Chanyeol says, and despite the grin, Baekhyun knows he’s just being friendly.  
  
He waits for Chanyeol to order a cup of coffee. “I wanted to apologize, for running out on you. Again. You probably think I’m really annoying and hate me, and I’ll pay you back for the lunch and everything.”  
  
“I don’t hate you, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol laughs, and Baekhyun looks up to see the sincerity back in his grin.  
  
“What? How? I’ve left you standing and most likely wondering what the hell is wrong with me twice, and—”  
  
“I think you’re complicated, and you confuse me a lot of the time. But I meant what I said. I like to see you smile. I _want_ to be there when you do. I don’t know why, but you mean a lot to me, Baekhyun. Even if that means having to deal with any of your problems, because I’d like to help you. I also know I don’t have any right to ask you about your own personal life, but if you ever want, I’m here to listen. I don’t think you’ll tell me right now what made you so distressed, but one day you should, so I can avoid upsetting you again,” Baekhyun almost wants to curl into a ball right there because the stare he’s getting from Chanyeol is bordering on something between affection and concern and it’s making that fluttery feeling in his stomach appear.  
  
He doesn’t know how to respond so he just sits there, opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish. He needs to say _something_ to fill the silence, but then Chanyeol continues and his problem is solved.  
  
“I think it’s fairly obvious I like you, from that kiss and all. And in case you didn’t actually get that, this is me telling you now: I like you, Byun Baekhyun. I don’t expect you to say you like me back right now at all, but I know you feel something for me,” Chanyeol smirks, and Baekhyun is slightly amused.  
  
“And how do you know?” He asks back with an almost cocky tone.  
  
“Because I’m really tall, I’m good looking, I read and I’m pretty smart, I drink tea, as you’ve experienced first hand, I might add,” Chanyeol winks. “I’ll take you places and buy you things,” he tilts his head and strokes his chin as he pretends to think, “and I’ve never seen you smile as wide or as much as you do with anyone else but me.”  
  
Baekhyun doesn’t manage to stifle his laugh as well as he’d hoped, nearly snorting in Chanyeol’s face. “How do you know I don’t smile more with other people?”  
  
“Because I’m the light in your life, Baekhyun. And I’ll wait until whenever it is you’re ready to say you like me back too.”  
  
“And you’re sure I’m going to say it back?”  
  
Chanyeol softens his gaze. “I’m eight hundred and seventeen percent positive.”  
  
  
  
  
“I’m surprised you didn’t try and stop me from paying for your coffee.”  
  
“You can consider this as picking up your tab from yesterday,” Chanyeol smiles, before checking his watch. “Oh shit, I need to run an errand for my sister before the place closes. I’ll see you later?”  
  
Baekhyun feels a little disappointed, and he knows it’s fairly evident on his face when Chanyeol grins and taps Baekhyun’s chin with his index finger. “Are you sad about that? Wow, I didn’t expect you to miss me this much already.”  
  
Baekhyun sends him a glare, lightly pushing his hand away. “I’m not _sad_ about anything.”  
  
“Oh, really?”  
  
Baekhyun deadpans. “Really. I just thought we might… I don’t know go hang out after this or something.”  
  
“Well, if you’re going to miss being in my presence this much,” Chanyeol laughs at the look on Baekhyun’s face, ruffling his hair, “you can come with me to the pet store.”  
  
“The pet store?” Baekhyun repeats, and has to quickly jog up to Chanyeol once the latter starts walking off.  
  
“Yeah, I need to go grab something my sister ordered from the store. Are you going to come with?” Chanyeol gives him a cheeky grin, and pinches Baekhyun’s cheek. Baekhyun swats his hand away, trying to frown so his response of _‘yeah, sure whatever’_ comes off as believable.  
  
  
  
  
“Aw, these kitties are so cute!” Baekhyun almost squeals, curling his index fingers through the bars as a soft grey kitten comes up to place its paws around Baekhyun’s right finger. “Oh my gosh, Chanyeol! Come look at this!” Baekhyun frantically waves him over with his unoccupied hand, beaming as he watches the kitten rub its little nose against the tip of his finger.  
  
Chanyeol slowly strolls over, his smile slowly growing as he hears Baekhyun’s laughter. It’s the kind that’s really pleasant to listen, all warm and genuine. He sticks his own finger through the bars and is surprised when another kitty, a striped brown one, comes up to sniff at him. Baekhyun coos again, and his laugh is so bubbly and giggly, Chanyeol’s practically in awe with how beautifully child-like it sounds.  
  
Baekhyun ends up going all over the store, playing as much as he can with the puppies and rabbits, and Chanyeol has to drag him out thirty minutes after he’s already gotten the collar his sister wanted for her pet dog.  
  
  
  
  
“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun softly says as they wait for the bus back to campus. “You know those tickets?”  
  
“Oh…” Chanyeol’s eyes go wide. “Yeah, what about them?”  
  
“Well, if you haven’t already asked someone else,” Baekhyun takes in a deep breath, “I-I wouldn’t mind going with you.”  
  
Chanyeol’s face seems to brighten, and he nods excitedly. “Really? Cool!”  
  
“Yeah, I think it’d be fun to go with you,” Baekhyun returns his smile. “But, what were you going to do if I said no?”  
  
“I was actually going to offer them to one of my friends, because I don’t think I would have wanted to go if you didn’t want to come with. So I’m really glad you said yes.”  
  
Baekhyun gets that fluttery feeling again that he’s started to feel very often around Chanyeol, and he silently agrees with him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“To tell you the truth, I’m a lot more excited for the opening group than the main band.”  
  
“Really?” Baekhyun raises his eyebrows.  
  
“Yeah, they’re part of the reason I took the tickets.” Chanyeol takes the ripped tickets from the employee, ignoring the judging look on the guy’s face, and motions for Baekhyun to go through the doors first. “I’ve liked them for a lot longer than the main group, and I just find their music nicer to listen to. How about you?”  
  
“Oh, I don’t really know any of the groups. I’ve only listened to a couple of songs Wu—I mean, a friend—had suggested to me.”  
  
“Seriously?” Chanyeol asks with astonished eyes, and Baekhyun nods as they walk to the general floor. “Then how come you agreed to come with?”  
  
Baekhyun shrugs, thinking he’s gotten a lot better at playing cool recently. “I thought it’d be a nice change of scene. I don’t really get out and do a lot of stuff with the other guys.”  
  
Chanyeol flashes their tickets at the security and he lets them pass through. It’s not even two seconds later when Chanyeol’s face lights up and he grabs Baekhyun’s hand, pulling him along as they half-run (at the speed at which Chanyeol’s going) to their allocated seats.  
  
“This is so cool! I’m so excited!” He exclaims, and Baekhyun has to bite his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling so wide. Even though Chanyeol might not realize it, it’s enough for Baekhyun to know that he’s the reason Chanyeol’s smile is so perfectly big. In the end, he’s glad Wufan gave the tickets to Chanyeol, if it makes him this happy to go to the concert.  
  
  
  
  
“Oh my gosh, that was _amazing!_ ” Chanyeol shouts, and Baekhyun has to yell back because their ears are still ringing from how loud the volume was.  
  
“I’m really glad they played that last song! I actually knew it!” Baekhyun laughs, and Chanyeol places his hands on his shoulders, trying to manoeuvre the two of them through the thick mass of people all trying to exit the venue at the same time. One of Chanyeol’s hands drop, and soon Baekhyun feels something brush his own hand, and then Chanyeol’s locking their fingers together, holding on tightly so they don't lose each other. Baekhyun glances back at Chanyeol slightly shocked, but squeezes the younger’s hand anyways, and turns back to face the front so Chanyeol doesn’t see his cheeks redden.  
  
They make it outside and he feels the tug before he hears Chanyeol’s voice, and Baekhyun is being spun around.  
  
“Wufan! I was wondering if we were going to run into you or not. This is Baekhyun,” Chanyeol lets go of his hand to gently drape his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders after the two of them exchange a short bro shake. “Baek, this is Wufan.”  
  
Baekhyun freezes, and he’s staring up at a face he hasn’t seen in more than six months, and his mind is screaming at him to just run so he doesn’t have to deal with this. But he can’t just leave Chanyeol again, so he shuts his eyes tight and puts on the best smile he can muster at that moment, sticking out his hand.  
  
“Hello Wufan. It’s nice to meet you.”  
  
He doesn't expect Wufan to reciprocate at all, but he’s sliding his hand into Baekhyun’s and giving it a light shake. Baekhyun doesn’t miss the way Wufan lets the palm of his hand brush against his pants when he pulls away, and he doesn’t know if he’s trying to wipe the Baekhyun off his hand or it’s because he’s feeling about as clammy and nervous as Baekhyun is right now. He goes with the latter, giving Wufan the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t notice the girl at Wufan’s side until she gives a little wave and introduces herself as Sehua.  
  
Chanyeol responds, and Baekhyun gives a little nod. The muscles in his shoulders are tensing up and Baekhyun doesn’t think Chanyeol has noticed how sick he feels, and probably looks.  
  
“How did you guys find the show?” Chanyeol asks, and Baekhyun kind of wants to pull him away right now so they can just leave, but then Chanyeol starts to softly massage Baekhyun’s shoulder and he’s trying to calm him down.  
  
“Oh, it was really cool, I love both bands! I’m really glad Wufan took me.”  
  
She’s so tall, perfect height for Wufan, with her straight blonde hair and cute face. It’s hard for Baekhyun to hate her, especially when she seems so down-to-earth. He settles for shooting her a friendly grin, not wanting to talk more and lengthen out this conversation.  
  
“Do you guys want to go grab some coffee or something?” Chanyeol suggests, and Baekhyun wants the ground to swallow him up whole. He’s feeling like he could smack Chanyeol around the head because that is the very _last_ thing he wants, but Wufan is politely declining, and Baekhyun can let out the breath he was holding in relief.  
  
“Nah, it’s okay man. It’s pretty late and we should head back to campus.”  
  
“Oh, are you two grabbing the bus back there? So are we! Shall we walk together?” Chanyeol asks enthusiastically.  
  
It’s really difficult to keep his fists at his side and not land one in Chanyeol’s gut when he keeps trying to extend the amount of bonding the two pairs can do together. Wufan can’t seem to think of a reason not to because he doesn’t say anything, and Baekhyun can’t just blurt out _‘um, I hate Wufan so I’d rather not, thank you’_ so he lets Chanyeol lead them all towards the bus stop.  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol slips his hand into Baekhyun’s along the way, giving it a squeeze, and it’s an unfamiliar action but it comforts Baekhyun enough to slightly quell the anxiety that’s been slowly growing inside him.  
  
Chanyeol talks enough for the both of them, Baekhyun adding in little additional comments when he has to correct Chanyeol or when Sehua asks him something directly. It’s Chanyeol’s laughter, the two of their hands still clasped together, that’s making his uneasiness slowly ebb away and he finds himself smiling again, even in a situation like this. He feels Chanyeol’s fingers tighten around his own every so often, and it’s giving him the comfort he needs that everything is going to be okay.  
  
Baekhyun can’t help but wonder if Sehua is Wufan’s girlfriend or just a friend, but it’s when they reach campus and they part ways that he sees Wufan’s arm come around her waist as they walk away. It’s not like he’s jealous, but it still stings a little and Baekhyun has to turn away from the scene so his eyes don’t well up. He wonders what happened with Yixia, but the thought is quickly brushed away.  
  
“Thanks for coming out with me tonight, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol softly says, and his gaze is careful as he squeezes his hand.  
  
“No, it’s okay, don’t worry. Thanks for asking me,” Baekhyun beams, and he’s being really sincere when he says, “I had a lot of fun with you.”  
  
“I’m glad,” Chanyeol’s eyes crinkle at the corners. “I’m sorry if meeting Wufan made you a little uneasy. I know the last time I brought him up you got upset, and I was just wondering if there’s anything—”  
  
“I-I’d really rather not talk about it right now, if that’s okay.” Baekhyun says, a little too bitterly than he wanted.  
  
“No, no, I understand. Sorry if I’m intruding.” Chanyeol kind of shrinks back, and Baekhyun feels guilty for being so harsh.  
  
“You’re not. It's just me.” Baekhyun assures him, and he reaches out to hold Chanyeol’s other hand, facing him fully. He can hear the bus coming, so he makes it quick. “I really appreciate you taking me out tonight.”  
  
He tiptoes up, and Chanyeol senses what he’s going to do before it’s even happening, a slight raise of his eyebrows as if to ask _‘are you sure?’_. Baekhyun gives the tiniest of nods before he’s closing his eyes and pressing his lips to Chanyeol’s. It’s a very short kiss, a peck almost, but it’s soft and sweet, and Baekhyun thinks he’s conveying enough to Chanyeol when he pulls away and gets on the bus, not looking back as he hides his face in Chanyeol’s red scarf that’s tightly wrapped around his neck.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_**from: junmyeon ^u^** _

_so are you and chanyeol dating now or what??_

_**to: junmyeon ^u^** _

_you should stop believing everything you hear from zitao._

_**from: junmyeon ^u^** _

_it was actually jongin who told me_

_**from: minseok *o*** _

_congrats!! \^o^/_

_**to: junmyeon ^u^** _

_tell jongin I’m going to murder him._

_**from: zitao ^w^** _

_can’t believe the two of you were shacking up behind my back._

_**from: jongin =3=** _

_I told junmyeon and minseok jsyk. don’t be mad byunbaek ;-)_

_**to: chanyeol (^0^)~** _ _♡_

_so who did zitao tell?_

_**from: chanyeol (^0^)~** ♡_

_everyone we know. I think he posted it on facebook._

_**from: chanyeol (^0^)~** ♡_

_at least it saves us the trouble of announcing it to everyone._

_**to: zitao ^w^** _

_we did not do any “shacking up”._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“When does Chanyeol perform?”

“He’s near the end of the show, I think.” Baekhyun peers down at the schedule, scanning for Chanyeol’s name in the programme.

“Oh my _God_ , this thing has already been on for an hour and we’re not even halfway through.” Jongin moans, slumping into his seat.

Baekhyun rolls up his programme and whacks Jongin on the head. “Shut up. We’re here to support Chanyeol.”

Junmyeon hums in agreement on the other side of Baekhyun, before leaning towards him and not-so-softly-whispering, “it’s because Jongin hasn’t gotten laid in a few weeks. This kid keeps turning him down.”

“Fuck you, Junmyeon,” Jongin hisses. “He didn’t _‘turn me down’_.”

“Right, so that black-eye you have is from walking into a door?” Minseok chuckles.

“Not my fault… who the hell knew Lu Han had an arm like that…” Jongin mutters, and Baekhyun almost chokes on his soda.

“Hold on… you tried hitting on _Lu Han?_ And _Lu Han_ turned you down?”

“I _just_ said that he didn’t turn me down! You’re all assholes.” Jongin crosses his arms and pulls his snapback low over his face. Zitao stifles a laugh and they sit in silence, until Jongin suddenly sits up, raising the brim of his hat. “Wait. How do you know Lu Han?”

“He works with me at the library. If you really wanted to get his number, you could have asked.”

“What the _hell_ , Byun Baekhyun! Why do you never tell me these things?!” Jongin practically yells, and it’s a good thing it’s the first intermission right now otherwise they would be on the receiving end of some very dirty looks.

“It’s not my fault you guys never visit me at the library,” Baekhyun has to pry Jongin’s fingers from his shirt, smoothing down the creases his nails left in the cloth. Then the audience is clapping and Baekhyun places his index finger in front of his mouth, silencing whatever Jongin was about to retort because the red curtains are being drawn and the second part of the show is about to start.

“Seven, seven, seven…” Baekhyun mutters to himself as he tries to locate the right numbered section he was sitting in. The line to the bathroom was way too long for his liking, and the third and final part is going to begin soon. He doesn’t want to miss Chanyeol’s performance, even though Zitao’s already set up a video camera so they have it all recorded.

He’s too preoccupied finding his row that he doesn’t watch where he’s going and runs into someone, the male catching onto his wrists to stop Baekhyun from falling backwards.

“Oh, thanks,” Baekhyun says, a hand gingerly placed over his chest. He looks up to see Wufan, who immediately straightens, running a hand through his hair once he realizes who he’s bumped into. Baekhyun blinks, and the atmosphere is awkward. But he doesn't feel that emptiness in his chest anymore when he thinks of Wufan, and maybe that’s why it’s weirder that he’s looking up at a person that doesn’t make him cry anymore.

In fact, he doesn’t feel anything but a little bit of irritation, and so Baekhyun spins on his heel, brushing past him without another word.

“Baek, wait!” Wufan’s hand is closing around his wrist and gripping him tightly to stop him from walking away. “I-I bought those tickets for you and me, the ones that Sehua and I used, before I got yours as a gift. I… I just want you to know that.”

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

“I didn’t know Chanyeol was going to take you. I didn’t even know you two knew each other.” Wufan says, and he sounds sincere, but Baekhyun doesn’t care.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me anymore, Wufan.” Baekhyun grits out, finally yanking his arm away.

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what? For not calling like you said you would? For not fucking texting? For not having the decency to talk to me about this instead of running away like a coward?”

“I didn’t know what to do! I was confused, and everything was just a mess—”

“That’s a shitty ass excuse, Wufan. Don’t play the victim here when you _know_ I went through a hell of a lot more than you did.” It’s aggravating and annoying, and Baekhyun feels like he wants to punch him. To bring Wufan pain, and make him hurt as much as Baekhyun did.

“I know, I know, Baek. I’m sorry, I really am. I don’t expect you to be my friend again, or to forgive me, but I just don’t want you to be mad at me anymore.” And then somewhere in the last sentence, Baekhyun feels his anger dissipate.

“I’m not angry. Not really.” He says softly. The lights dim and everyone in the sections start to clap, the others that were milling around rushing past the two of them to get to their seats. Baekhyun looks back to see the curtain being drawn. “I have to go. Bye Wufan.”

“Y-you seem happy with him.” Wufan blurts out, and Baekhyun stops in his tracks. He doesn’t say anything, and Wufan continues. “I’m… I’m happy for you, Baekhyun. He’s making you smile a lot more than you used to.”

Baekhyun stays silent for a moment, only muttering a soft _'I'll see you around, Wufan'_ before spinning on his heel and walking away back to his seat.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“That was great!” Baekhyun excitedly says as soon as the show is over and Chanyeol is walking out from backstage. Chanyeol scoops him in a huge hug, spinning him around, and Baekhyun has to wrap his arms closely around Chanyeol’s neck to avoid snapping his guitar strapped to his back.

“Can you guys not be gross, please,” Jongin says, not even trying to hide his disgust.

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun screeches out, giggling too much as Chanyeol’s hair brushes against his neck and tickles him. “Put me down!”

Chanyeol obeys, but not before giving him a kiss.

“Good job, Chanyeol,” Minseok pats him on the back, and Zitao and Junmyeon follow closely behind, giving their congratulations and _‘well done’_ wishes as Zitao turns his camera on to show Chanyeol his performance straightaway.

They all decide to go for a celebratory meal afterwards, and Baekhyun hangs back as he waits for Chanyeol to put on his coat.

He grabs his guitar off his back, and Chanyeol chuckles, reaching out for it. “Give that to me, Baekhyun.”

“No! I can carry it.” Baekhyun insists, switching it from hand to hand to decide what’s the most comfortable position to carry it.

“It’s practically bigger than you,” Chanyeol quips, and Baekhyun relents, handing it over. Chanyeol leans down to give him a kiss on the forehead, curling an arm around his shoulders and following the others.

“By the way, am I still coming over tomorrow night?” Chanyeol leans down to whisper into Baekhyun’s ear as they exit the concert hall.

Baekhyun pokes Chanyeol’s nose. “Of course! We need to stay up so we can exchange Christmas gifts at midnight.”

Chanyeol grins, pecking Baekhyun’s lips.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Chanyeol will never be Wufan. He’s not as tall, and he has a lighter hair colour. He wears glasses, along with a really confused and cute expression whenever he reads, his eyebrows knitting together. He likes sushi a lot (Baekhyun swears they have it at least once a week) and he always asks to get sweet popcorn. He likes cuddling and kissing Baekhyun a lot.

Chanyeol isn’t Baekhyun’s first love.

But Chanyeol’s willing to give Baekhyun what Wufan wouldn’t, and that makes him all the more special. He’s the one Baekhyun goes to when he’s angry or sad, and he doesn’t judge Baekhyun for anything (except for putting peanut butter on ice cream). He’s the one who sends Baekhyun good morning texts on the days he doesn’t sleep over, and helps Baekhyun to stack shelves at the library the majority of the time when he can.

Chanyeol isn’t even his second love, but Baekhyun thinks, with every time he falls asleep in the younger's arms, that Chanyeol’s slowly getting there. He’s eight hundred and seventeen percent positive of that.


End file.
